As part of his working visit, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended a ceremony marking the 550th anniversary of Kazakh Khanate held in the Palace of Independence in Astana.

After the national anthem of Kazakhstan was played, President Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated the Kazakh people on the occasion of the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate, welcomed the foreign guests, including the Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz Presidents, chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Ismet Yilmaz and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan Sapardurdu Toyliyev.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke of the history of the Kazakh Khanate which was founded in 1465 and played a crucial role in developing and preserving the national culture and statehood traditions.

Noting that the Turkic speaking states have common roots and history, the Kazakh President stressed the necessity of unity, solidarity and cooperation among them.